Shutterstock

Capitalizing on the visual storytelling revolution

Social media have made the world not just more connected but hyper-expressive, with an insatiable demand for every kind of still and moving image. Facebook live, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube have turned watchers into storytellers.

As a major stock image agency and highly visual business, Shutterstock wanted to capitalize on the movement and cement its place in the personal publishing and social media revolution. The brand chose Lippincott to bring their talents to the challenge of revitalizing the logo and brand for relevance in the age of a billion storytellers.

While Shutterstock had long transitioned from a start-up to a global media marketplace, they were not alone. Competition is daunting and the image marketplace has verged on becoming a commodity category. In this sea of sameness, Shutterstock’s leaders saw an opportunity to evolve their brand and expand their appeal to design-centric customers and contributors. They wanted to be known as visual innovators and as an essential tool for creativity.

Turning the logo from wordmark into a concept

Lippincott quickly saw the potential within the name — and in particular the opportunity to transform the logo from a passive statement to an active expression of creative utility. The vehicle for this transformation was the “O” in Shutterstock.

We immediately set about fashioning the “O” into a form that at once could be seen as an aperture, a viewfinder or simply a window into an endless universe of creative inspiration and possibilities. In other words, the lens through which customers not only see the brand but also interact with it.

“We fell in love with the modern typeface, the bold color, and our ability to activate the identity in an endless number of ways. This identity reboot is about the ideas, just as much as the visual aesthetic.”

— Matt Angorn, VP Creative & Marketing Communications, Shutterstock

The logo shot into life across the entire Shutterstock ecosystem — from environmental design in their offices to city billboards and advertising. Employees embraced the energy of the new identity and took pride in wearing the logo on custom T-shirts. It was the core of a new identity that signaled the brand’s commitment to creativity and innovation. Valued at over $2.5 billion and with share prices almost doubling since the rebrand, Shutterstock continues on their accelerated growth path and creative leadership.

“Shutterstock was created to enhance visual storytelling. We understand the importance of imagery to communicate a message and we’ve activated that belief with this new brand identity.”